Red Bull's Gasly ready for home race's 'good vibes'

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Red Bull's Pierre Gasly is fully focused and ready for the excitement and frenzy of racing on home turf in a competitive car in next week's French Grand Prix.

Along with Romain Grosjean and Charles Leclerc, Gasly is among the trio of francophone drivers that are sure to garner the support of the local crowd at Paul Ricard.

"It’s a really special weekend coming for me, my home race, so I’m really excited to be on track there with all the fans and extra support," said Gasly in his team's French GP preview.

"I’m fully focused and dedicated to get the best result I can and it would be a special moment to do well in front of my home fans.

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"Quite a lot of people are coming to support me which makes the weekend extra special. It brings good vibes and creates a special atmosphere.

"Paul Ricard is also a track I quite like because I had really strong results there in the past, I raced there for the first time in 2011 in F4 and won.

"To go back there this year with a Red Bull, in a competitive car, makes me excited and I’m ready to give it my all!"

Gasly's promotion this year from Toro Rosso to Red Bull hasn't been easy going, with the 23-year-old struggling to keep up with team mate Max Verstappen.

However, the Frenchman is focused on getting the most out of his car rather than endlessly peering at his team mate on the other side of the Red Bull garage.

"My goal is being able to drive the way I want to, to extract the very maximum from the car," he told Paddock Magazine.

"Taking some direction with the team in terms of setup, what I need, and also to try to make the most of my new engineering team around me, because they are also new within the team."

Gasly is well acquainted with Verstappen and insists that he has more to gain than to lose by racing alongside the talented Dutchman.

"I’ve known him for more than ten years: we raced together in karting, and we always kept quite close, and we have spent training camps together in Monaco, we did a lot of activities, and to be fair, everything is going well," he added.

"Besides, he’s more experienced with the team, so I have good things to take from his experience and it’s good to have him as a benchmark as he is one of the most talented guys on the grid."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.